Tom Towle (1887–1983) was an American aircraft designer in charge of developing the Ford Trimotor.[1]

Early life

Towle was raised in Dayton, Ohio and graduated from Yale University in 1920. Towle become an aeronautical engineer for many starting aviation companies.[2]

• 1921-1922 Dayton-Wright Company
• 1922-1923 Martin
• 1923-1924 Aeromarine
• 1924-1925 Stout Metal Airplane Co
• 1925-1927 Stout Metal Airplane Division of the Ford Motor Company After disappointing results from the Stout 3-AT, Ford places Towle in charge of the Ford Tri-motor development.[3]
• 1927 Towle Marine Aircraft - Formed company to build the Towle WC.
• 1928 Eastman Aircraft Corporation of Detroit - Designed the Eastman E-2 Sea Rover.
• 1928-1932 Towle Aircraft Company - Reorganized to produce the Towle TA-2 and Towle TA-3 amphibians.
• 1933 Monocoupe Aircraft Corporation
• 1933-1935 Lambert Aircraft Towle replaced Clayton Folkerts as chief engineer. Designer of Charles Lindbergh's plane, 1934 Model D-127 Monocoupe, which hangs in Terminal 1 at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.[4][5]
• 1939 Grumman[6]
• 1941 Hudson Car Company aircraft division - Hired as chief engineer.[7]
• 1951 Worked for the Church & Dwight company, known for baking soda products.[8]

References